Matthew 23:24

[Ye] blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Ye blind {G5185} guides {G3595}, which strain at {G1368} a gnat {G2971}, and {G1161} swallow {G2666} a camel {G2574}.

Blind guides! -- straining out a gnat, meanwhile swallowing a camel!

You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!

Commentary

In Matthew 23:24, Jesus delivers a powerful and memorable rebuke to the Scribes and Pharisees, labeling them "blind guides." This verse encapsulates their hypocrisy through a striking metaphor: meticulously observing minor religious regulations while blatantly disregarding the weightier matters of God's law.

Context

This verse is part of a series of "woes" pronounced by Jesus against the religious leaders in Matthew chapter 23. Immediately preceding this, in Matthew 23:23, Jesus condemns them for tithing even the smallest herbs (mint, anise, and cummin) while neglecting "the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith." Verse 24 serves as a vivid illustration of this exact point, emphasizing their misplaced priorities and spiritual blindness.

Key Themes

  • Hypocrisy: The central theme is the stark contrast between outward religious performance and inward moral corruption. The leaders presented themselves as righteous but were inwardly corrupt.
  • Misplaced Priorities: Jesus highlights their focus on trivial aspects of the law (straining out a gnat) while ignoring significant moral and ethical commands (swallowing a camel). This reveals a profound misunderstanding of God's true desires.
  • Spiritual Blindness: By calling them "blind guides," Jesus underscores their inability to perceive true righteousness and guide others effectively. Their meticulous adherence to minor rules obscured their vision of essential spiritual truths, as also noted in Matthew 15:14.
  • Legalism vs. True Righteousness: The verse critiques a legalistic approach to faith that values adherence to rules and traditions over genuine love for God and neighbor.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "strain at a gnat" is a minor translation nuance. The original Greek (diulizontes ton kōnōpa) more accurately translates to "straining out the gnat." Ancient Jewish dietary laws considered even tiny insects like gnats unclean, and meticulous Jews would strain their wine or other liquids to avoid accidentally consuming them, thus becoming defiled. This highlights their extreme scrupulousness in matters of ceremonial purity.

The "camel" (Greek: kamelos) is a deliberate and humorous hyperbole. Camels were large animals, explicitly declared unclean by Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:4). The image of swallowing such a massive, unclean creature after meticulously avoiding a tiny gnat powerfully illustrates their gross inconsistency and moral blindness.

Practical Application

This verse serves as a timeless warning against hypocrisy and misplaced priorities in faith. It challenges believers to:

  • Examine Our Priorities: Are we more concerned with outward appearances, traditions, or minor rules than with matters of justice, mercy, love, and genuine faith?
  • Beware of Legalism: True spirituality is not about rigid adherence to a checklist of do's and don'ts, but about a transformed heart that seeks to honor God and love others.
  • Seek Inner Purity: Jesus consistently emphasized the importance of internal righteousness over external conformity. Our actions should flow from a pure heart, not merely for show (Matthew 6:1).
  • Avoid Spiritual Blindness: We must pray for spiritual discernment to understand God's true will and not be led astray by trivialities while neglecting the essential commands of Christ.

Matthew 23:24 calls us to a faith that is authentic, balanced, and focused on the transformative power of God's love and justice, rather than mere outward show.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated β€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Matthew 19:24

    And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

  • Matthew 27:6

    And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

  • Matthew 27:8

    Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

  • Luke 6:7

    And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

  • Luke 6:10

    And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

  • Matthew 23:16

    Woe unto you, [ye] blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

  • Matthew 7:4

    Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?
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